Google's first non-Nexus smartphone due out this year

Google’s Nexus line of consumer electronics is well-known at this point. Having released its first device – the Nexus One smartphone – in 2010, Google has since expanded the brand which now encompasses a number of smartphones, tablets, and digital media players.

Throughout the entire process, Google has been at the helm when it comes to the design, development and marketing of its Nexus products. But unlike Apple and its iPhone, Google outsources manufacturing duties to a range of partners that have included HTC, Samsung, Motorola and more recently, LG and Huawei.

That will soon be changing.

Sources familiar with the matter tell The Telegraph that Google is in discussions with wireless providers with regard to releasing its own branded smartphone that it would manufacture. The publication says the first non-Nexus smartphone, which will launch later this year, will see Google take more control over the design, manufacturing and software.

Given the fact that former Motorola chief Rick Osterloh recently rejoined Google to head a new hardware division, the revelation shouldn’t be too much of a surprise.

CCS Insight analyst Ben Wood said he believes Google is concerned that Android is fragmenting and that it needs to become a more controlled platform.

Those concerns aren’t unfounded as Google’s latest version of Android, Marshmallow, was only installed on 10.1 percent of all Android devices as of earlier this month. In comparison, a whopping 84 percent of Apple devices in the wild are running iOS 9. Wood said he thinks Google will seek to control it more like Apple does.

Google better change their update schedule back to 3 years if they want control.

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Nobody has any idea what you're talking about.

Fragmentation is a non-issue on Android for one simple reason: you'd be hard-pressed to find an app that doesn't run on anything from Android 4.2 and up. Most things will run on every older versions just fine! Last I checked around 95% of iOS apps work on a 4s and newer. So what's the issue, really? All people care about is being able to access features and content easily, and having adequate performance from installed apps. For the overwhelming majority of users in the developed world, that's not a problem and for the developing world its not even a concern.

Google better change their update schedule back to 3 years if they want control.

Click to expand...

Nobody has any idea what you're talking about.

Fragmentation is a non-issue on Android for one simple reason: you'd be hard-pressed to find an app that doesn't run on anything from Android 4.2 and up. Most things will run on every older versions just fine! Last I checked around 95% of iOS apps work on a 4s and newer. So what's the issue, really? All people care about is being able to access features and content easily, and having adequate performance from installed apps. For the overwhelming majority of users in the developed world, that's not a problem and for the developing world its not even a concern.

Click to expand...

I think he's referring to Nexus software support being reduced to 2 years?
I've not heard anything like that but happy to be corrected.

I can't blame Google on this one.
Just look at MS and how successful the surface is. It made a standard for comparison in the PC market.

I see too many people complain how android is complicated but then realise the only experience they have is with the bloated touchwiz mess that is most Samsung phones.
It's about time Google take a more direct approach to the hardware market.